kathleen21

You're very welcome, Denise. :)

Hi. I have the exact question as Denise, but in regards to the Orchestra. Do you know if there are hot tubs in the Orchestra spa? I didn't realize that the picture on line of these beautiful jacuzzi tubs looking through large windows may not be of my ship!:o

Thank you so much for your great review. We plan to tour several of those ports in Nov, so I made notes. Hope we get s chance someday soon to go to St Lucia and Barbados. I'd totally forgotten The Witch of Blackbird Pond. What a good reminder [emoji16]

 

You're welcome. It's funny what sticks with us from elementary school :') Have a great trip!

Mrs Clooney-

Thanks for the ideas. I think our time in Barcelona is coming together to be a combination of a free Gaudi walking tour, the Segrada Familia, and the HOHO bus.

Cruisemom42-

The Hypogeum was just that special something I was looking for! Thank you. I set an alarm so I won't miss buying tickets. We are in Malta on a Sunday, so I am hoping to go to Mass, the Hypogeum, and then walk around town.

In Athens we are not there long, 7-30-4:30, but at least we are there early. We will head to the Parthenon area first.

As far as Crete goes, our port is Heraklion. We are scheduled there from 8-6pm.

Thank you to all for the advice. I am enjoying all this research :D

Thanks for the great review Ms Kathleen. :)

 

We have done those ports ourselves over 2 different cruises. Love the shot from the hill looking down at the Caribbean and Atlantic. When we were in St Lucia, we did the catamaran to the Pitons. Such beautiful scenery.

It's funny, but being from Southern California we thought we knew about beaches. We didn't. Those Caribbean beaches were so beautiful, and fun to play in. We're ruined now ;p

Watch "The Durrells on Corfu" on BBC America or PBS then do a Durrells tour. It's based on an autobiography of a well known British naturalist who had an uncommon upbringing on Corfu.

 

And food tours. I don't have specifics for your ports, but I've done food tours all over Europe and they are frequently one of our favorite excursions. You get a bit of history, you get tasty food, what more could you need?

I just ordered the first book in the Durrell trilogy. Great ideas! Thanks:cool:

Get a copy of Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports and see what there is, and how to do it on your own. He doesn't include Genoa or Malta. After you've seen the Acropolis and Santorini, all you need do is sit in a sidewalk cafe and watch the passing scene. I never get tired of Gothic churches, but Greek ruins all look alike. EM

Of course! I bought that book when I first started planning this trip and I have gotten so wrapped up in internet searching that I had forgotten about it! Sheesh. Thanks!

Cruisemom42 - Thank you for your thoughtful response. Probable in the interest of brevity I made my initial questions too simple. To clarify, yes, I am trying to ascertain what is unique about each port. Especially in Greece, where I have never been. And where we have four different port days. We have varied interests including art, history, churches, hiking... I am looking to create an excursion itinerary that has some variety to it, but that doesn't miss an iconic site.

Regarding "secret tours", I really mean those tours that either most people don't know about, or that require more pre-planning than most people do. The underground tour at the Vatican comes to my mind as an example.

You have a lot of experience in this area. What would you do on Corfu from 2-8pm? That gives us only 4 hours probably. We are the only ship in port that day at least.

I just finished the rest of your review and wanted to let you know I really enjoyed following along. We've done this itinerary twice fairly recently (Valor in 2013 and Liberty in 2015) and it is, hands down, our all time favorite of the Caribbean itineraries that Carnival offers and I love reading reviews of this itinerary. Now I can't wait until we can do it again. I've already started "arm twisting" my DH, so hopefully in 2018. I really enjoyed the pictures you included, including your extra time in San Juan and Puerto Rico. I'd hoped to spend extra time the last time we did this cruise in 2015, but my husband had just stared a new job the previous year, so he was limited on vacation days. Next time we do this, I'd love several extra days...or a week. Thank you for taking the time to do a review. I've done a few and know how time consuming they are.

Thank you for responding. It does take time, but gets slightly addictive too. It's so much fun reviewing the vacation and the pictures! I have started reading your review on the Liberty. I love how you listed other reviews that helped you in your planning! That is a great idea!

Hey Kikki21, I read your review when I was planning my Caribbean trip this year! Thanks for that, by the way. And for your opinion here too. It helps. It looks like Malta is going to be a surprise gem of a port.

I am like you don't want to go to boot camp on my vacation. If I miss some ruins I will not cry I rather seat in nice restaurant and watch the life of city . Can only comment on some ports .

Corfu- we took a taxi for 80E and went to see Paliokastrica monastery. Beautiful view on way and some shopping in DT after.

Olympia - I know everybody's goal is to see Olympia but for me it was not attractive at all and I love history and ruins.:confused: Almost nothing left and whatever is left probably not real. We just had nice lunch and nice walk around port .

Athens - Hop on bus a good option gives you taste of city but you can only go out on sites you need. Pantheon must see for me.

Excellent! Thank you for your opinions. Sometimes there is just so much information out there that makes every place sound like it can't be missed. But that gets so exhausting!

And a McDonald's that serves wine. Is this a great country or what?

What?! Where?! Malta or Genoa? That I have to see!

I lived in Malta and would recommend the Blue Grotto ( 30 minute boat ride ), Mosta Dome ( 2nd largest dome in Europe, **** bomb fell through the dome during mass and didn't explode, bomb now in the basement of church open to visits ) and Mdina ( first capital...no cars allowed known as the silent city, loads of history, an amazing view of Malta and also amazing little restaurants. Fontanella cafe is the best imho. Valletta has a lot of history and shopping as well.Enjoy!

I'm writing this all down. Is going to the Blue Grotto something we can do on our own? Thanks for the local info!

Malta one of my fav ports of all times. I could live there. We just walked.

 

Genoa we were there a few days pre-cruise and just walked. We had a hotel near the main train station so there was plenty to see and walk to. We also took the train from there up to Lake Lugano for a couple of nights and came back before sailing. The hotel kept our luggage so all we had to take were overnight bags.

I'm glad to hear that, sometimes wandering is the best. Thank you.

check the ports of call forums here for those ports

or google the tourism site for each port

Then you can find things to do that suit your interests

I've been getting a little overwhelmed with all the options, sometimes it helps to get opinions too. Thanks!

I may be able to help with only Malta and Corfu from your list...

 

Malta: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=44353750&highlight=malta#post44353750

Corfu: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=44365633&highlight=corfu#post44365633

 

If you have a late flight after your cruise, check out private excursions from Civitavecchia to Orvietto & Civita de Bagnoregio. Many drivers/companies mentioned here on CC (ie. stephano, romelimo, etc etc) offer this. Then they can take you to the airport or back to Rome.

 

Maybe something different in Rome.... research/google Tivoli Hadrian's Villa

Thanks for the tip on Hadrian's Villa. That looks like a beautiful excursion.

And now I'm settling in to read your review! The first few pages sucked me in, it's gonna be a late night tonight... thank you!

Hi Stinger-PR! It is always great hearing from you. I love the help you are able to give.

Thanks for the information about the cats. I would much rather see them than wild rodents! My grandparents owned a cat boarding facility when I was growing up, so I too spent part of my childhood cleaning up after cats. The best part was always playing with the kittens.

In regards to the tour, the guide was fine, just not very animated or as enthusiastic as other tour guides. So we didn't feel as much of a connection I guess. At least he wasn't artificial though, like St Kitts guy was. Plus, if there had been more people on the tour it could be a totally different experience!

Hubby and I are taking an anniversary cruise in Europe next year. What I have learned from doing this review is that it is hard to remember things! I am definitely going to try to take pictures of the daily schedules and the outsides of restaurants and museums to make that part easier.

I was wondering about your review lately, did you ever come up with a solution to your picture problem?

We have booked a cruise to the Mediterranean for next April. Researching ports now. I know from experience though that there is an amount of vacation fatigue that sets in- that time when all the art museums or Roman ruins start looking alike. So I'm trying to find the most unique or "best" experience in each port. We are do-it-yourself people, who like to walk and explore. Keeping in mind that we only have a "cruise ship day" in these cities (6 hours!) what would you suggest? Thanks in advance for the opinions 🤓

Rome - the only place we have been before - we have 2-3 days here pre cruise. We haven't seen the catacombs yet.. is there a "best"one to tour? Any Unusual or secret tours?

Genoa-

Marseille-

Barcelona-

Malta-

Corfu-

Olympia-

Crete-

Athens- I assume the Parthenon. What else?

Civitavecchia- don't want to go back to Rome. What is a good local option?

We have booked a cruise on the Orchestra for next April. Researching ports now. I know from experience though that there is an amount of vacation fatigue that sets in- that time when all the art museums or Roman ruins start looking alike. So I'm trying to find the most unique or "best" experience in each port. We are do-it-yourself people, who like to walk and explore. Keeping in mind that we only have a "cruise ship day" in these cities (6 hours!) what would you suggest? Thanks in advance for the opinions 🤓

Rome - the only place we have been before - we have 2-3 days here pre cruise. We haven't seen the catacombs yet.. is there a "best"one to tour? Any Unusual or secret tours?

Genoa-

Marseille-

Barcelona-

Malta-

Corfu-

Olympia-

Crete-

Athens- I assume the Parthenon. What else?

Civitavecchia- don't want to go back to Rome. What is a good local option?

Thank you for you great review. I am doing this cruise on Oct. 8. So this was very helpful.

You're welcome! Have fun planning. I'm glad to try to answer any questions :cool:

Lunchtime. We used the Yelp app again and found a local diner type place. Delicious food. I just don't remember the name of the place!

We went back to our room to cool off, then walked back to the Governors Mansion for that tour. Only problem was the street was blocked off by guards with guns. Apparently there was a demonstration going on, and all tours were cancelled. We didn't see anybody, but we weren't going to argue the point either!

Ok. Another change of plans. We went to the local grocery and bought coffee and food souvenirs. After dropping them off in our room, and cooling off for a bit, we headed out to walk along the walls again. We found a trail and got to hike for a bit.

We walked around more that night, just enjoying the atmosphere. Our hotel had a lovely roof top terrace with hammocks and seating areas that was a nice place to relax too.

A nice way to end what had been a fabulous vacation!

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So sad, but every great adventure comes to an end. I think I've held off writing this because I don't want it to be over!

Our final day in San Juan- I woke up early and went for a run along the trail outside the old wall. I can't stress enough how conveniently located our hotel was to everything in Old Town... the San Juan Gate was a block away.

There were cats everywhere, and someone obviously caring for them-

Breakfast at our hotel each morning was served on silver trays in the dining room. They fixed the tray and cooked the hard or soft boiled eggs to order, so plan on it taking 15 minutes to get your food. Make yourself a delicious cup of Puerto Rican coffee, talk to the other guests, and relax. Right. We are still on vacation after all.

First up, we headed to the Governors Mansion for the English tour. Which we missed by 5 minutes. Whoops. Too much relaxing! So we decided to come back for the 3:30 pm tour, and instead make our way to the Museum of the Americas.

This place was interesting. There were exhibits about art, yes, but most interesting to us were the history exhibits. They had information about many different native cultures from all of the Americas. Including shrunken heads from a head hunter tribe! Weirdly interesting. From the reading it seems that the opponents heads were cut off and soaked in a solution to shrink them in order to decrease their power/ influence. It probably worked?!

I couldn't put the shrunken head photo here, too creepy. Instead this photo from a happier, celebration exhibit-

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Thank you so very much for your review. We have done this itinerary before and loved, loved, loved it. So, we have booked it again. It is over 200 days away, so I will probably look at your pics at least 20 times before we set sail, lol.

Thanks you. This is my first review, and it has been so much fun reliving the trip. I didn't expect that part. I so enjoy researching and reading here on CC too. Hopefully that will make your wait better![emoji41]

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After all the excitement of the day we were both tired and hungry. Figuring out where to eat seemed like too much work. So we fell back on Barrachina's, since we had enjoyed our meal there last week. It cracks me up that my husband, who is not much of a drinker at all, loves those Pina Coladas! Must be because they are sweet, he does have a sweet tooth. We had the grilled fish and vegetable for dinner and it was delicious. We strolled around Old Town for a bit, and called it a night. No plans really for tomorrow, our last day of vacation.

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Back in the van we headed to the coast for some hiking along the rocks and caves there. The weather had cleared up and it was beautiful with dark blue skies and fluffy white clouds.

The Indian caves- anticlimactic since you can't go down in them anymore. Supposedly there are ancient drawings on the walls. Beautiful area to hike around though

The monument to Christopher Columbus can be seen in the far distance in this photo

We made it to the beach, which was busy with families celebrating the Memorial Day holiday. We were supposed to be here an hour, but after about 30 minutes the clouds rolled in and rain, thunder and lighting started. I was in the water when I saw lightning in the distance, and decided that maybe that wasn't the best place to be, so I headed back to our towels. Looking around, I wasn't the only one to decide that - those families had their picnics packed up and were off that beach fast! We texted our guide and he was right there to pick us up. What an adventure! Because we had taken our time and hiked around earlier it was actually time to head back anyway, but I really wanted some coffee. He pulled off the freeway and went to a drive through Burger King for me. Now I am a coffee snob, but I hadn't seen any better choices and was tired of fighting to stay awake in the car, so I bought some. It was fine! Strong, hot and good with real half n half. I just love that strong, tasty coffee they have here.

We were back to our hotel a few minutes before 5pm. Discussing it later we debated as to if we would do this tour again. The pluses were seeing the city and the countryside. We really felt like we saw some of the real Puerto Rico that is outside of the more tourist areas. The downside was the lack of that group interaction that we both appreciate, and the cost. The total with tip was about $350 for the day. Overall though, no regrets. We have lovely pictures and great memories. I would just check out a few different companies next time. Or travel with someone who wants to drive!

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Monday - San Juan

Enough rest and relaxation, today we had an adventure planned! Before we left on the cruise I started thinking about what we would do afterwards, with 3 more full days in San Juan. Cities are fun, but we wanted to get more of a feel for the island of Puerto Rico. I looked on Trip Advisor and found this tour that would go to the Ventana Caves - which was on the list of top 10 natural sites to see in the world. Natural Wonders PR: "Arecibo Adventure Tour: Cave “La Ventana”, Cave “Del Indio” and Much More" plus, the cave was open on a Monday, other caves we looked at were closed that day.

The photos online were exciting and made us want to go there. It also involved some hiking, a stop at a beach, and about an hours of driving to the west of the island. The tour was pretty spendy at $145/pp though. Hubby and I discussed it and decided that we just really did not want to rent a car, so we bit the bullet and booked it via email for today. The driver met us at the church close by our hotel at 0845 for an 8 hour tour. Turns out that once again we were the only people on this tour. This time though it felt a little awkward. The guide, who also was the, driver was nice enough, but not exactly chatty. More of a point and name the location kind of guy as we were driving through the city and countryside to the cave.

At the Ventana cave we joined a group tour led by a cave guide that was very interesting. We all were given flashlight and had to wear safety helmets.I do get claustrophobic and there was only one tight spot that I was through quickly, so it wasn't really a problem. The caves were large and cool. This is the cave entrance-

The narrowest spot-

We saw, heard and smelled bats on our walk through the rain forest and to the main cave. This place was so awesome! The view of the valley below made me feel like I was in the cave man days and had discovered this area on my own. It was so natural. No safety rails or artificial lighting. We were here about 20 minutes, taking pictures and hearing stories about how this area had been used in the past.

Next it was back to the van and on to the next stop, a waterfall. Only problem is that it started pouring rain! We waited in the van for a few minutes and it started to ease up, so we all got out in the light rain to hike to the waterfall. More heavy rain started. That was enough for us, we asked him if we could see a picture of the waterfall on his phone and move on to lunch! After all, we had been to some great waterfalls on this trip and we were hungry by this time. Lunch was at "Martin's BBQ El Original!" and consisted of our choice of traditional Puertorican lunch food. I tried the Bacalao (fish stew) and Hubby had meat with gravy and mofongo. It was definetly a casual place, with plastic seating and quick counter service, but the food was tasty and filling.

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